Lawmakers, groups to seek TRO vs train fare hike

LEGISLATORS led by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito and various groups will ask the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the fare increases of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT).

In a media advisory issued on Monday, Ejercito said he will be joined by Representatives Gustavo Tambunting (Paranaque), Leah Paquiz (Ang Nars Partylist), and Lito Atienza, Irwin Tieng and Mariano Michael Vellarde of Buhay Partylist in filing the petition for TRO at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Other petitioners include former Cavite representative Crispin Remulla, Allan Tanjusay of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Allan Montano of Federation of Free Workers, Leody de Guzman of Buklurang Manggagawang Pilipino, Rene Magtubo of Partido Manggagawa; and Annie Geron of PS Link.

At 1:30 p.m. of same day, the Senate will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed fare hike of the Philippine National Railways and the plan to modernize and rehabilitate its trains and facilities.

Due to continuing glitches of rail transits, the Department of Transportation and Communications increased the fare rates of MRT-3 and LRT Lines 1 and 2 to improve its service, beginning January 4.

Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, said any further delay in the promised upgrade and rehabilitation of MRT-3 is "unacceptable."

"Our commuters have long been aggrieved and any further delay in the accomplishment of vowed upkeep and upgrade is certainly unacceptable. We must hold accountable all those negligent on carrying out their duties," said Poe.

In the wake of repeated railways system malfunctions since the implementation of the fare increase, Poe asked Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya to submit within five days a progress report on committed deliverables to improve the train system.

Poe also asked Abaya to find ways to expedite the completion of deliverables as allowed by law and as demanded by the urgency of undertaking such repairs to protect the commuting public.

Earlier, Poe asked Abaya and train officials to report the completion of its rehabilitation projects, which includes the maintenance of facilities, particularly the elevators and escalators, and restrooms, as well as the installation of elevated water tanks in the next two months.

During the February 2 Senate hearing on MRT-3 malfunction, Abaya presented the following rehabilitation deliverables with their target completion dates: consulting services (April 2015), rail replacement and signaling system upgrade (September 2015), radio communications upgrade (November 2015), supply of traction motors (October 2015), conveyance facilities (January 2016), ancillary system (April 2016), supply of OCS road-rail vehicle and grinding machine rail vehicle (May 2016), total replacement of signaling system (October 2016), and general train overhaul (January 2017).

Abaya also committed the completion of the full rehabilitation of the restrooms in all stations by early this year.

Likewise, Transportation and Communications for Operations director Renato San Juan promised to complete the installation of elevated water tanks to enable water to reach the 13 stations by May 2015, with a P5 million budget.

"We definitely want to know the exact level of progress and current accomplishments on every identified rehabilitation project. Let's show concern to those passengers who have been long suffering," Poe said.

Poe also reminded Abaya to submit a report on deductions it has made as "penalties for non-performance" by maintenance provider APT Global, which currently receives P57 million per month.

"If commuters are paying higher fares, it is only reasonable for them to expect improved service. An efficient and reliable mass transportation system helps improve workforce productivity and our economy," Poe said.

On February 27, the MRT suffered a minor glitch when a southbound train stopped abruptly before it reaches the next station.

Last weekend, the Department of Transportation and Communications shortened trips of trains to give way to rail replacement works. (Sunnex)

Bid invitation for NLEx-SLEx connector road expected in June

THE GOVERNMENT will open the door in June to companies that intend to outdo Manila North Tollways Corp.’s (MNTC) P18-billion offer to link the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Tuesday.

This follows the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board’s decision in February to move forward with the unsolicited proposal, which involves the construction of an elevated road connecting the two expressways.

MNTC is the tollways unit of infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) that currently operates NLEx and had long been seeking to connect that expressway to the southern corridor exiting Metro Manila.

“That was already approved by NEDA Board, so now we can publish ITB (invitation to bid) within the year,” DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson said on the sidelines of Euromoney’s Philippine Investment Forum in Makati City on Tuesday.

Asked for more details, Ariel C. Angeles, officer-in-charge and director of the Public-Private Partnership Service of DPWH, said in a mobile phone reply: “We hope to publish in June. We are just sorting out some terms with MNTC.”

In February, the NEDA Board ruled that the contract should be bid out via Swiss challenge -- the course the government takes when dealing with unsolicited proposals, which requires an invitation to make competing offers while giving the original proponent the right to match them.

MNTC first submitted an unsolicited proposal in 2010 for the connector road, and on Jan. 21 last year, signed a joint venture agreement with state-run Philippine National Construction Corp. -- the holder of the NLEx franchise -- to build that road.

But several months later, the Department of Justice (DoJ) issued an opinion on the joint venture proposal, saying that the NEDA Board approval of the agreement between MNTC and PNCC is “without factual basis or justification.”

The DoJ opinion also stated that the DPWH, under Section 3 of the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, could proceed with the consideration of the unsolicited proposal.

The MNTC proposal was then again subjected for NEDA review.

“As of now, no companies have expressed interest,” Mr. Singson said, though he noted that absence of interest thus far is no reason not to proceed with a Swiss challenge, “because that’s the legal process.”

Sought for comment, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) President Ramoncito S. Fernandez said on the sidelines of the same event: “We’re ready for the Swiss. We are just waiting for the government to invite proponents. We’ll fight for it.”

The original unsolicited proposal of MNTC involved a 13.5-kilometer elevated road that will connect North and South Luzon expressways, including a five-kilometer common alignment from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) to Buendia Avenue in Makati City.

Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp., which is also pursuing its own proposed connector road project with San Miguel Corp., has already obtained financing for the common alignment portion of the road. The San Miguel group’s P26.5-billion Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 project is a six-lane 14.8-kilometer expressway, from Buendia Avenue in Makati City to Balintawak in Quezon City, connecting the SLEx to NLEx.

Malacañang approved the contract for the Skyway Stage 3 project in September 2013.

The NLEx-SLEx connector road would link C-3 in Caloocan City to the PUP campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Parts of the segment would run above the lines of the Philippine National Railways.

MRT-8 Project

If plans don’t go awry, the east will soon meet the west in Metro Manila.

The vital link is a $1 billion rail transit system that will connect the eastern towns of Rizal to the urban centers in Metro Manila.

The provincial government of Rizal on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement with a foreign consortium for the construction of the mass transport system, Gov. Casimiro Ynares said yesterday.

American Transport Systems Corp. (ATSC) heads the consortium that offered to design and build the 20-km railway system called MRT-8 East Rail.

MRT-8 will have stations in Tanay, Taytay and Angono — all boom towns of Rizal. It will connect to stations to be built in Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue.

Details of how MRT-8 will be built and who will finance it are still under wraps, but Rizal appears bent on implementing the project.

“The province of Rizal is now ready to move forward. We are confident that the key players in the Philippines will join us in this exceptional development opportunity, amid the need for an efficient transport system and accessibility to and from Metro Manila,” Ynares said.

ATSC chairman and chief executive officer Norbert von Boode described MRT-8 as a “regional mass transit system,” addressing the traffic and accessibility problem of Metro Manila and provinces in its outskirts.

Rizal and the consortium are set to finalize the parameters for a sound legal and financial framework.

MRT-8 requires approval of the national government, through the Cabinet-level Investment Coordinating Council.

ATSC pledged to provide both railway and roadway infrastructure based on an integrated, risk sensitive investment strategy.

To be able to finance the proposed project, the province has agreed to consider the issuance of bonds and other long term securities and a revised tax structure for properties adjacent to and affected by the project.

The ATSC-led group includes Vinci Construction Grand Projects, Bombardier Transport, Invensys/Foxboro, Systra, SA, Dmjm-Harris/Maunsell (American engineering family of companies), Dubin Capital Partners, Alexander Forbes and Investec European Capital.

Maaaring may nakapansin na sa MRT-8 proposal. Hopefully masimulan ito at least after three years para makatulong ng malaki sa mga taga-Rizal, Pasig, Mandaluyong at Maynila. Kahit hanggang Tikling lang makakatulong na talaga ito sa mga pasahero. :cheers:

MRT-8 has been planned for quite a while, actually. I just hope it follows the original alignment (Ortigas-Shaw, starting at V. Mapa/Santa Mesa and ending at Cainta for Phase 1, and at Santa Cruz, Laguna for Phase 2).

Wow! malapit na sa amin! MRT 8 Phase 1 - 2017. Phase 2- 2020! Wishful thinking!

Wow! Another line! Sana sabay-sabay matapos ang line 7, 8 at south extension. Aprubahan na agad yan!